Ivan Rakitic: Croatia will have 4.5 million players in World Cup final

Take a look back at how darkhorses Croatia and pre-tournament favourites France charted their course to reach the World Cup final.
The FC panel applauds Croatia for its resilience after defeating England in yet another come-from-behind victory.
Ivan Rakitic said that Croatia will feel the support of their entire country when they face France in the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday.
Croatia, who played their first FIFA-sanctioned matches in 1992 after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, finished third in the World Cup in 1998 but had otherwise not advanced beyond the group stage.
"This is a...Read more ...

FIFA.com takes a journey down memory lane to relive the last time France and Croatia met at the World Cup, ahead of their most significant encounter to date, the 2018 Final.Read more ...

Soccer-France-Croatia final confirms Europe's World Cup dominance

A European nation is set to win the World Cup for the fourth time in a row this Sunday and in doing so confirm an unprecedented dominance for the Old World over their once mighty rivals in South America. Whether France or Croatia lift the trophy in Moscow, it will guarantee a minimum 20-year drought for South American sides. Until this streak, European teams had never won more than two World Cups in a row and that was back in 1934 and 1938.Read more ...

On Sunday, the Balkan nation will play France for the biggest prize in football - Goal Croatia's Ante Buskulic tries to explain how they've got hereRead more ...

Dalic: No excuses, we are ready

With Croatia set to take their first steps into a FIFA World Cup Final, coach Zlatko Dalic spoke about where their achievements stand in the global game and how he found himself set to lead his nation on this stage.Read more ...

Despite progress, much work remains for Southgate and England

By Simon Evans MOSCOW - England's first run to the World Cup semi-finals in 28 years represented real progress and provided cheer to their long-suffering supporters, but there remain clear shortcomings for manager Gareth Southgate to address when the emotion fades. The 2-1 extra-time defeat to Croatia on Wednesday exposed the limitations of Southgate's inexperienced side, weaknesses that were evident at other times in the tournament, but were often masked by the euphoria of unexpected success. For all the talk of a new, modern, passing style of football, England found it difficult to play...Read more ...

On Thursday, FIFA announced its referee assignments for the France vs. Croatia World Cup final in Moscow. Most notably, Argentina's Nestor Pitana will be the lead official for the match in Moscow. It's the second time there's been an Argentinian lead ref for a World Cup final, with the other occurring in 2006's match between Italy and France. Pitana has been the lead on four matches thus far and has experience dealing with players from both teams this tournament. Russia vs. Saudi Arabia Mexico vs. Sweden Croatia vs. Denmark France vs. Uruguay The upcoming match will be his fifth on the...Read more ...

France out to rectify Euro 2016 mistakes in World Cup final: Pogba

By Karolos Grohmann MOSCOW - France are determined not to make the same mistakes they did two years ago in losing the Euro 2016 final when they take on Croatia for the biggest prize in football, midfielder Paul Pogba said on Thursday. France face the Croats in the World Cup final at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, but they are rejecting the favorites tag which cost them dearly two years ago, he said.Read more ...

Croatian president 'can't wait' for World Cup final

Zagreb, July 13, 2018 - Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said Friday she could not wait for the World Cup final against France, as officials worked overtime to meet the huge demands from fans needing passports. Zlatko Dalic's side reached Sunday's final after beating England 2-1 in extra-time in Moscow on Wednesday, sparking wild scenes of excitement both in the Luzhniki Stadium and in Croatia. "I feel extremely excited, I don't know how I will wait until Sunday," said Grabar-Kitarovic, who is going to attend the game. "Regardless of Sunday's result, which I believe will be a...Read more ...